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Homemade Butter (Ev Yapımı Tereyağı)

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For years, I have been craving homemade butter. Growing up, I remember observing my grandmother make butter with a tall, round, wooden butter maker. I call it butter maker, because I do not know the name of it. I remember her shaking it vigorously for a long time to make the butter. The butter making process stayed vaguely with me however my collection of the taste of that butter is still vividly in my mind. I almost thought it was impossible to make homemade butter like my grandmother here in the United States . Mainly, because I wasn’t sure of the access to raw milk from grass fed cows but after a few years of thinking about it (of course I had other things to think about during those years and not just butter making J ), I finally I found the source of raw milk. After having my children, I became almost obsessed with providing them with real and fresh food. A very bad experience with the famous store that carries a wide range of organic foods, grass fed meats and pasture raised ch...
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The Sultan’s Delight (Hünkar Beğendi)

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Finally, a recipe to share after a year! Life gets in the way and it becomes difficult to spend time on blogging. My hünkar beğendi recipe has been waiting for almost a year to be published. Now that it’s eggplant season again, I thought it’s a good time to share it. You may be curious about the name of this recipe. It translates to “The Sultan Liked It”. One of the stories behind this recipe is that during the early 17 th century, Sultan Murad IV loved this recipe so much that it was named “Hünkar Beğendi” which means “The Sultan Liked It”. The other story says that the wife of Napoleon III, Empress Eugénie of France visited Istanbul as a guest of Sultan Abdulaziz in 1869 and this dish was on the menu as the Sultan was trying to impress Empress Eugénie. She loved the dish so much that she asked if her chef could go to Palace kitchen and learn to prepare this dish. The Empress’ chef couldn’t replicate the recipe as he said the Palace chef threw out his books, scales and etc. and sai...
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Ladies Thighs Meatballs (Kadınbudu Köfte)

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It has been way too long since I have published a recipe on my blog. Life is busy with children, work and home. Most of the food I have been cooking is catered toward little children and don’t even have the time to document it let alone to take pictures and post. But this recipe really deserves some space on my blog. My children loved it and I couldn’t keep from having another and then another. The name of this recipe might get your attention as it is named after women’s thighs. I did some research and tried to find out where it gets its name, but was not successful. I am guessing this was the name given during the Ottoman era because it resembled women’s thighs. In any case, these meatballs are so succulent and flavorful you will not be able to stop yourself from having another one. Serve with fries or potato pure and salad.  For the Meatballs: 2 lb ground beef 1 large onion (grated) ½ cup white rice 1½ cup water 1 egg 1 tbsp chopped parsley 2 tsp salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper 1 ...
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Turkish Zucchini Fritters (Kabak Mücveri)

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I have made mücver throughout the summer without following a recipe and each time making differently. This version, by far has been the tastiest one. Most of the time, I do not add white cheese and I think I will never make them again without it. The cheese adds such a wonderful flavor. I was already full when I made these, but I couldn’t resist so I ate two while making them. These are also great for little children who usually would not eat zucchinis. Enjoy! 3 zucchinis 1 medium onion 2 cloves garlic (optional) ½ cup chopped fresh parsley ½ cup crumbled Turkish white cheese (or feta) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp dried mint 1 tsp crushed red pepper 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp cumin 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1 cup olive oil Peel the zucchinis in stripes and grate them along with the onion. Squeeze all the juice out from the zucchinis and the onion. Add the rest of the ingredients except the olive oil. Mix well. Heat about ¼ cup of oil and place spoonful of the zucchini mixture.  Cook several minutes on...
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Kebab Stuffed in Eggplant Pots (Saksı Kebabı)

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I could not resist posting another eggplant recipe before the summer season is over. By chance, I found these beautiful looking, organic eggplants and I had to buy them. There are so many Turkish recipes with eggplants, so I like to try something different each time. This recipe I have not made before, but after tasting its deliciousness, I will make it more often. It goes excellent with crusty bread or rice or both! 5 large eggplants (black beauty found in most grocery stores works perfect) Pot of salty water 2 cups olive oil for frying For Kebab Stuffing: 1.5 lb cubed beef 8 shishito peppers (or 2-3 long, slim green peppers) 4 medium tomatoes (peeled and diced) 1 large onion (diced) 2 large cloves garlic (chopped) ¼ cup olive oil ½ tsp cumin ½ tsp thyme 2 tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper 2 cups of water For Sauce: 2 cups water 2 tbsp tomato paste 1 tsp salt For Garnish: 2 sliced tomatoes (optional) 10 shishito peppers (or 2-3 long, slim green peppers) Heat a pan and place beef cubes. Cook...
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Eggplant with Green Lentils (Mualla/Yeşil Mercimekli Patlıcan)

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Eggplant is one of my favorite summer vegetables. I don’t seem to be cooking with it as much now since my kids don’t love it. One day, I really craved eggplants so I decided to make something saucy with eggplants. This recipe is traditionally made in Hatay/Antakya ( Antioch ) region and it is just incredibly delicious. The pomegranate molasses gives it such a good kick. It is particularly delicious with flat bread, but I served it with rice, instead of bread. 2 large eggplants 3 large tomatoes (peeled and diced) 3-4 green peppers (cut in fourths and sliced) 1 large onion (cut in fourths and sliced) 4 cloves garlic (chopped) 1 cup green lentils 1 tbsp red pepper paste 2 tsp crushed red peppers 1 tsp dried mint 1 tsp sumac 2 tsp salt ¼ cup pomegranate molasses ½ tsp thyme ¾ cup olive oil Peel the eggplants in stripes. Cut each eggplant in eights and slice diagonally.  Fill a large pot with cold water and add salt. Place the sliced eggplants in salty water and let sit for an hour. Was...
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Spicy Cookies from Hatay (Hatay Kömbesi)

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          These delicious, spicy cookies are traditionally made in the Hatay province right after Ramadan, during Şeker Bayramı which translates to “Sugar Feast”. Almost every household in Hatay region makes these cookies in very large amounts which usually involves friends, relatives and neighbors getting together to make them. They are either baked at home or at the local bakery. Trays and trays of kömbe are sent to local, wood-fired bakeries during this season and the delicious smell just swifts through the air in the neighborhoods. Some bakeries stay open all night to keep up with baking these cookies. During the “Sugar Feast”, people visit each other and these cookies are served for the guests.   In other regions of Turkey , “kömbe” is the name for a pie/börek, so it can get confusing for people who are not from the Hatay region. When I was growing up and eating these cookies during the holidays, I didn’t care much for them as they were abundant during...
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